Electric talking-sign.



L. H. JONES.

ELECTRIC TALKING SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 14, 1914.

1,143,201. Patented June 15, 1915.

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ELECTRIC TALKING SIGN.

' APPLICATION FILED APR. 14, 1914. 4

71,143,201. Patented June 15, 1915.

2 SNEETSSHEET 2.

I III.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LENORA I-I. JONES, or wrcnrra, KANSAS.

ELECTRIC TALKING-SIGN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 15, 1915.

Application filed. April 14, 1914. Serial No. 831,850.

' ing-Signs, of which the following is a v brief, this consists of a setof adjustable specification.

This invention relates to what are popularly known as talking signs,that is to say, a bank of electric lamps which can be lighted in groupsin seq a manner as to form letters, words, emblems, pictures and thelike, and. can be varied at a more or less rapid rate so as to produce aseries of eli'ects designed to convey any desired information to theobserver.

The object of my invention is to simplify the construction and increasethe range of such a sign, and render it possible to make changes easilyand quickly in the words or other devices used to attract the attentionof the public.

To this end, my invention comprises a bank of electric lamps arranged inrows close together and connected with a peculiar switching apparatus bymeans of which any desired group or groups of lamps can be lighted insuccession; the essential novelty residing insaid switching apparatus.In

contacts for each lamp, connected in series, combined with a contactmovable relatively thereto, and means for causing saidlatter contact toshift from one contact to another in order and preferably at regularintervals. Each of the contacts in each set can be thrown lnto operativeposition or out of it at will, so that any given lamp can be lighted atany one or more of the successive positions of the movable contact. Thenumber of changes of whichthe sign is capable will thus depend simplyupon the number of such contacts with which each lamp is provided.

On the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representationof the entire sign. Fig. 2 is a plan view, on a larger scale, of themechanism for producing the s ep by step movement of the movable contactcarrier. Fig. 3 is a plan view of said carrier on another scale. Fig. lis a section on a large scale of a portion of the table, carrier and itsactuating mechanism. Fig. 5 is a plan view, partly broken away, of aportion of the table and the carrier. Fig; 6

shows amodified form of stationary contact, and Fig. 7 shows a furthermodification of the same.

'The drawings represent the preferred form of my invention, but it willbe evident from the following detailed description that the actualconstruction can be widely varied without departing from the scope andspirit of said invention.

Mounted upon some convenient support is a bank of electric incandescentlamps 1, preferably arranged in regular rows. The

number of lamps used is immateriah'provided enough are employed toafford the requisite changes in displaying the selected legends ordesigns.

One terminal of each lamp is connected by a common conductor 2 with oneside of a supply circuit 3. The other terminal of each lamp is connectedby a separate conductor 4: with the switching apparatus. Inthe formwhich I have illustrated, each of these separate conductors terminatesin a loop 5 surrounding a circular hole 6 in a stationary table 7,whichis preferably horizontal. The holes are arranged in rowscorresponding with the lamps in the bank on the display support, so thateach hole in each row agrees in relative position with-its lamp in thebank. Av plurality of adjustable con"- tacts is arranged around eachhole, all connected with the loop of conductor 5, and all spaced atequal distances apart. drawings I have shown eight of these contacts,but the number can obviously be In the varied at the pleasure of thedesigner. The

simplest form of contact is that of a disk 8 centrally perforated androtatable upon an right contacts 11 projecting up through the 1 holes inthe table, one for each hole; The

preferred form of movable contact is a;

closely coiled flexible helical spring of copper or other wire, whosebase is anchored to the board. A convenient way of mounting thesesprings is to slip them down over uprightstuds 12 fixed in the board.The studs are all electrically connected, preferably by strips 13 ofcopper or other conducting material. A common flexible conductor 14connects all these strips and contacts with the other side of the supplycircuit, as shown. A circuit-controlling switch 15 of ordinaryconstruction is preferably included in circuit with the two conductors 2and 14.-

. played, provision is made for causing the movable contacts to travelaround the outer portion of the holes 6 with a step by step motion, eachstep carrying the movable contact from one stationary contact to thenext. By sim ly removing one or more of the disks 8 rom their pins, thelamp in circuit with that particular set of contacts will be preventedfrom lighting at the positions of the movable contact corresponding withthe removed disks. The operator can thus determine beforehand whether ornot any particular lamp shall light up at any given position of themovable contacts in their travel around within the holes.

Various equivalents for the removable disks may be substituted therefor,such for example as a light helical spring 16 clamped at one end by anut 17' or otherwise so mounted as to permit it to be swung into or outof the path of the movable contact 11, as shown in Fig. 6. Or, a flatspring blade 18 g ray 7be similarly mounted, as shown in In order tocarry the movable contacts 11 around in circular paths within their respective holes 6, the board 10 on which said contacts are mounted issupported in such manner as to be capable of revolution withoutrotation. To this end it is preferably provided with ball casters 19resting upon a base plate 20 which is parallel with the table 7Rotatably mounted on upright axes, such as studs 21 rising from saidbase plate, are two wheels 22 having wrist pins 23 projecting frdmtheirupper surfaces and entering sockets 24 in the board 10. The throwof these wrist pins is such that when the Wheels are revolved everypoint in the board will be given a circular movement of rotation in acircle whose diameter is slightly less than that of one of the holes 6;the motion of the board as a whole being similar to that of the side rodof a locomotive with reference to the axles of the driving wheels. Theboard is moved with a step by step 'movement, preferably by thefollowing mechanism. On the under side of the wheels 22 is a pluralityof teeth or cogs 25, spaced equally apart and corresponding in numberto'the stationary contactsS. A rod 26 is' mounted to reciprocate insuitable guides 27 on the base plate and is provided reciprocation ofthe rod, both wheels will be advanced a portion of a revolution,remaining stationary while the rod makes its backward stroke. A detent,such as the flat spring 30 hearing against two of the cogs,

prevents any back lash of the wheels.

Any suitable mechanical device may be used to reciprocate the red. Iprefer to employ a small electric motor 31-, connected by reducinggearing and a crank'pin 32 and pitman 33 with one end of said rod. The

motor may be connected with the supply circuit 3 and be controlled by aswitch 34.

At each reciprocation of the rod 26 the movable contacts 11 are shiftedfrom one position to the next within their holes, all occupyingcorresponding positions. The operator selects the lamps to be lighted ateach position of said contacts, and adjusts the stationary contacts tocause their circuits to be closed as desired; for example, by droppingone of the disks '8 upon each pin 9 so selected, or by turning thecontact.

16, or 18 into the path of the movable contact, and clamping it inposition. When this has been done, themotor can be started and thesign'will display as many words or designs as are provided for by thestationary contacts in circuit at each position of the movable contacts;repeating the announcement at each revolution of the board 10.

It will be seen that this sign possesses a great range of conversationalability, so to speak, and that what it says can be very easily andquickly altered by simply shifting the movable contacts. i

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I havedescribed the principle of operation of myinvention together with theapparatus which I consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; butI desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is onlyillustratiye, and that 2. The combination with a bank of elec- .triclamps, of' switching apparatus for lighting groups of lamps at will,comprising a set of contacts for each lamp, the contacts of each setconnected in. series, a single contact moving relatively to those insaid set, and means for bringing any one or more of the set into or outof the path of movement of said single contact.

3. The combination with a bank of electric lamps, of switching apparatusfor lighting groups of lamps at will, comprising sets of contacts, thecontacts of each set connected in series with each other and with a lampand arranged in a loop, a single movable contact in each loop, and meansfor moving said single contacts from one contact to the next insuccession In their several sets. K

4. The combination with a bank of electric lamps, of switching apparatusfor lighting groups. of lamps at will, comprising sets of contacts, thecontacts of each set connected in series with each other and with a lampand arranged in a. loop, a single movable contact in each loop, meansfor moving it from one contact to the next in succession, and means forremoving any one or more of the contacts of each set from the path ofthe moving contact. 1

5. The combination with a bank of electric lamps, of'switching apparatusfor lighting groups of lamps at will, comprising sets of contacts, thecontacts of each set connected in series with each other and with a lampand arranged in a loop, a single movable contact inside of each loop,aboard on which said single contacts are mounted, and meansforgivingsaid board a movement of revolution without rotation.

6. The combination with a bank of electric lamps, of switching apparatusfor lighting groups of lamps-at will, comprising sets of contacts, thecontacts of each set connected in series with each other and with a lamparranged in a' loop, a single flexible movable contact inside of eachloop, a board contacts in circular paths within said holes,

and means for giving them a step by step motion, their positions of restcorresponding with the contacts grouped around said holes.

8. The combination with a bank of electric lamps, of switching apparatusfor lighting groups of lamps at will, comprising a table containingcircular holes, a set of contacts grouped around each hole at equaldistances, contacts projecting through said holes, a board parallel withsaid table on which said last named contacts are mounted,

and means for giving said board a movement of revolution withoutrotation. 9. In a sign of the class described, a table having aplurality of circular holes, a set ofpins around each hole connected inseries, a removable disk on each pin, a contact. inside of each hole,and means for giving it a step by step, motion from one pin to the next.

10. In a sign of the class described, a table having a plurality ofcircular holes, a set of pins around each hole connected in series, aremovable disk on each pin, a board parallel with said table, aplurality of electrically connected studs on said board, one for eachhole, and helical springs carried by said studs and extending up throughsaid holes.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LENORA H. JONES,

Witnesses: I

L. R. FULTON, J. S. MELANEI.

